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Sam Name Popularity

    

Charts | Table | About | By Year

How popular is Sam?

In 2018 the less frequently given name Sam, ranked the 603rd Most Popular Boys Name in the United States.

Presently one of the top 1000 most popular, Sam has been a top 1000 placer since the Social Security Administration began keeping records in 1880.

Its highest popularity RANKING of #30 was reached in 1882.

Nonetheless, the name was given to the greatest number of children in 1918 with 2,505 occurrences.

The least number of children given the name Sam was 348 in 1985.

Approximately during the years 1897-1900, 1909-1915, 1956-1959, and 1984-1990, the name Sam took a definitive turn upwards in popularity whereas 1947-1950 were years of successive downward movement.

For a number of years, the name Sam has remained mostly unchanged in popularity. , continuing the trend, the number of children named Sam lately has remained about the same.

What does the future hold for the popularity of Sam?

Currently, the name is at a very low point when compared to its most popular year.

The name Sam still has a solid footing and will probably continue to plateu at its present level but may also begin to make a more decisive move up or down.

*Mouse over the charts or scroll down to the table for data details.

 
Mouse over or Click for Percentages.
   Sam (Girl)Sam (Boy)
Year %No. of Babies Given NamePopul. RankNo. of Babies Given NamePopul. Rank
2018 13 8,465 451 603
2017 12 9,220 521 540
2016 17 7,160 476 581
2015 12 9,377 522 546
2014 12 9,425 520 536
2013 14 8,490 476 554
2012 5 19,030 510 518
2011 14 8,537 545 482
2010 12 9,688 550 472
2009 15 8,378 580 471
2008 21 6,519 605 460
2007 9 12,465 612 453
2006 16 7,783 585 462
2005 12 9,340 556 460
2004 7 13,902 593 438
2003 < 5 -- 577 436
2002 < 5 -- 559 442
2001 10 9,952 553 439
2000 6 14,661 514 461
1999 < 5 -- 497 459
1998 < 5 -- 490 459
1997 5 15,630 484 457
1996 8 10,340 527 428
1995 < 5 -- 569 404
1994 < 5 -- 554 413
1993 11 7,935 561 415
1992 < 5 -- 575 400
1991 7 11,234 590 384
1990 5 14,741 584 396
1989 5 14,033 503 415
1988 6 11,444 479 413
1987 6 10,963 481 394
1986 8 8,328 380 444
1985 11 6,357 348 461
1984 6 10,078 364 444
1983 11 6,135 361 433
1982 7 8,980 374 433
1981 < 5 -- 383 427
1980 12 5,825 367 429
1979 7 8,770 377 408
1978 7 8,331 416 380
1977 5 10,891 356 418
1976 < 5 -- 397 388
1975 9 6,347 420 377
1974 6 8,490 437 366
1973 6 8,184 477 351
1972 6 8,026 497 346
1971 9 5,898 541 341
1970 13 4,438 599 321
1969 8 5,859 584 318
1968 8 5,535 566 320
1967 11 4,244 608 299
1966 14 3,511 678 286
1965 16 3,238 774 267
1964 9 4,931 956 248
1963 9 4,833 1,017 236
1962 23 2,586 1,070 236
1961 16 3,297 1,193 229
1960 17 3,081 1,210 228
1959 13 3,587 1,296 214
1958 13 3,515 1,178 224
1957 10 4,162 1,071 231
1956 11 3,867 948 238
1955 11 3,747 876 237
1954 14 3,129 872 238
1953 12 3,443 880 229
1952 10 3,749 941 215
1951 15 2,791 1,035 201
1950 10 3,628 955 207
1949 8 4,182 1,103 188
1948 10 3,560 1,239 176
1947 8 4,287 1,416 169
1946 8 3,937 1,301 164
1945 7 3,967 1,137 160
1944 10 3,109 1,213 157
1943 15 2,432 1,323 153
1942 17 2,190 1,280 152
1941 12 2,648 1,191 150
1940 10 2,926 1,146 150
1939 9 3,112 1,121 145
1938 15 2,206 1,161 141
1937 13 2,435 1,214 132
1936 19 1,790 1,237 131
1935 10 2,901 1,363 126
1934 7 3,751 1,322 127
1933 18 1,894 1,351 121
1932 18 1,940 1,454 120
1931 20 1,795 1,458 118
1930 17 2,093 1,669 110
1929 30 1,414 1,729 105
1928 32 1,392 1,759 109
1927 23 1,818 1,905 102
1926 22 1,874 2,031 92
1925 25 1,738 2,093 91
1924 30 1,563 2,121 91
1923 24 1,775 2,205 89
1922 28 1,607 2,350 84
1921 26 1,718 2,366 85
1920 23 1,804 2,283 84
1919 36 1,295 2,384 75
1918 23 1,745 2,505 75
1917 14 2,408 2,455 72
1916 23 1,626 2,313 74
1915 27 1,395 2,339 68
1914 18 1,595 1,880 67
1913 23 1,170 1,527 65
1912 13 1,611 1,325 63
1911 6 2,422 928 47
1910 13 1,326 888 40
1909 8 1,740 700 44
1908 5 2,381 644 46
1907 8 1,622 631 43
1906 6 1,921 552 43
1905 8 1,518 620 40
1904 5 2,132 603 40
1903 < 5 -- 552 41
1902 7 1,570 559 41
1901 7 1,447 479 41
1900 11 1,215 821 34
1899 < 5 -- 469 44
1898 < 5 -- 543 42
1897 5 1,765 478 45
1896 < 5 -- 518 43
1895 5 1,777 487 43
1894 8 1,221 507 43
1893 7 1,269 481 43
1892 < 5 -- 551 38
1891 < 5 -- 418 43
1890 7 1,185 489 41
1889 6 1,255 486 40
1888 5 1,450 607 34
1887 < 5 -- 463 39
1886 < 5 -- 519 34
1885 < 5 -- 492 35
1884 < 5 -- 533 33
1883 < 5 -- 476 33
1882 < 5 -- 555 30
1881 < 5 -- 481 32
1880 < 5 -- 457 36

United States name popularity data is provided by the Social Security Administration and is based on Social Security card applications.

Data for a given year is not made available until well into the next year.

Data reflects what was recorded and has not been edited for errors, so for example the gender associated with a name may be incorrect.

The more babies that are given a particular name, the higher the popularity ranking. If multiple names have the same usage, the tie is broken by assigning popularity rank in alphabetical order. Therefore in the case of names with fewer occurrences, names with the same number of occurrences may have vastly different rankings because they will be interranked alphabetically.

To safeguard privacy, the SSA does not include names with less than 5 occurrences.

Please note, we update the data each May when the SSA releases new figures. All data changes at that time, including previous years, which will change minutely based on new information.